Film

Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan

Name: Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2023
Cast: Ed Sullivan, Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick, Berry Gordy, Jackie Jackson

A brisk documentary about Ed Sullivan's surprisingly progressive decisions to book Black performers on his Sunday-night variety show, reshaping American television. It's archival footage and talking heads, celebratory rather than interrogative, best for anyone curious about mid-century TV history and the quiet power of one person's choices to challenge segregation.

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The Toys That Made Us2017

Netflix's series about iconic brands and toys uses archival footage and insider interviews to trace how products shaped childhoods. Warm nostalgia meets cultural history in the same accessible, briskly-paced format.

But It can feel like extended commercial love letters. Some episodes are thinner than others, and the tone never gets critical.

American Masters1986

PBS's long-running series profiles artists, musicians, and performers who changed American culture. The best episodes match Sullivan's focus on how individuals broke through cultural barriers.

But Quality varies considerably depending on subject and director. Some feel like hagiography rather than biography.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown2002

This documentary about Motown's session musicians gives voice to the unsung architects of the sound. It shares Sullivan's interest in the people who quietly built the foundation for Black American entertainment.

But It's from 1989, so the archival quality is inconsistent. Some segments feel dated in their approach.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown poster

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The wildcard

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Disclosure2020

Where Sullivan celebrates the moment discrimination weakened on his show, this traces how discrimination persists and how art fights it. Both are about visibility as power.

Sam Feder's documentary uses archival TV and film footage to show how trans people have always been on screen, whether the industry acknowledged it or not. It's angry and urgent where Sullivan is nostalgic, but asks the same essential question: what happens when you see yourself represented?

But It's deliberately confrontational and doesn't ask for sympathy. It's also recent enough that some footage is triggering, and the tone can feel exhausting.

Respect2021

Jennifer Hudson stars in this biography of Aretha Franklin, one of the towering figures who performed on Sullivan. It's a sweeping, dramatically engaging look at an artist's life and struggle.

But As a biopic, it simplifies and dramatizes for effect. The film occasionally prioritizes emotion over accuracy.

Hairspray1988

John Waters' film is set in 1962 Baltimore and centers on a TV dance show integrating for the first time. It's a joyful, trashy, earnest look at the same era and impulse.

But The tone is deliberately campy and chaotic. Waters fans love it; others find it assaultive and shapeless.

Memories1995

A retrospective of Richard Pryor's groundbreaking comedy specials and performances. It traces how a Black artist revolutionized what was possible on American television and stage.

But Some of the older footage is grainy and sometimes hard to follow. The focus on Pryor rather than his context might feel incomplete.